WASHINGTON, D.C., United States: US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he would not call the US-Iran conflict a war, despite renewed American strikes and Iranian attacks across the Middle East.
“I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vance told reporters during the September 3 White House briefing, arguing that major US combat operations had ended months ago. The briefing began at about 1 p.m. EDT.
Vance said Washington had no timetable for ending the confrontation and would not resume negotiations while Iran continued targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 and has now entered its seventh month.
Vice President JD Vance said talks with Iran will not resume unless it stops attacking commercial shipping, as tensions remain high following recent strikes https://t.co/JsucrIOQkU pic.twitter.com/iE3kh1WUA2
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 3, 2026His comments followed a fresh wave of US attacks on September 1. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air-defence sites, radar systems, maritime facilities, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites after attempted attacks on commercial vessels and US personnel. More than 50,000 US service members remain deployed across the region, CENTCOM said.
Iran retaliated against US and allied targets this week, while Associated Press reported that Tehran fired at Kuwait on Thursday. Vance said there was “no active shooting” at the moment he addressed reporters.
The prolonged confrontation continues to pressure global energy markets. Brent crude closed Thursday at $95.52 a barrel, compared with roughly $72 before the conflict began, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below pre-war levels.
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Vance said US-assisted shipping moved about 15 million barrels of oil through the strait on Wednesday, but independent tracking reported by AP showed an average of about five million barrels per day exiting the waterway during the previous 28 days.
